Women, magistrates top bribery list as sextortion cases rise
National
By
Juliet Omelo
| Apr 11, 2026
Magistrates top the list of officials receiving bribes in Kenya, with a national survey showing they receive an average bribe of Sh164,367.
The report paints a worrying picture of corruption in public service, highlighting not only judicial graft but also the emerging role of women as both victims and enablers in Kenya’s corruption landscape.
Other officials followed at varying levels, with land registry officers averaging Sh17,996, elected county representatives Sh13,038, immigration officers Sh12,102, and prosecutors Sh11,809.
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Police officers, teachers and health workers were reported to receive smaller bribes ranging between Sh2,664 and Sh4,656, while officials handling civil registration and ID issuance received the lowest bribes of Sh1,415 to Sh1,899.
“Magistrates are at the top of the list because they handle high-value disputes and services,” said Dr David Oginde, Chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The gender dimension in the Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025 presents a paradox. While women are most affected at the lower levels, paying more bribes than men for essential services such as health, education, and civil registration, in higher offices they are emerging as major enablers of corruption.
“Where women are serious victims of micro-corruption, at higher levels, they are increasingly becoming major drivers and facilitators of mega corruption,’’ Oginde noted.
He cited high-profile cases, including the NYS scandal, KEMSA Saga, the Edible oil scandal and other public procurement schemes, where women were central figures in corrupt dealings. The survey notes that women are also highly complicit in family-based corruption, colluding with spouses or relatives in illicit transactions.
“Many of the corruption cases we deal with involve husband and wife or parents and children colluding. This is a reality we need to confront,” said Oginde.
The report raises fresh alarm over rising cases of sextortion, identifying it as one of the fastest-growing forms of gendered corruption in Kenya.
Women seeking public services, employment opportunities, or access to government documents increasingly face demands for sexual favours in place of money.
The survey notes that sextortion remains heavily underreported due to shame, stigma and fear of retaliation, yet it continues to erode women’s dignity and access to essential services.
“We are seeing a disturbing pattern where women are coerced into providing sexual favours to obtain services that should be their right. Sextortion is corruption in its most exploitative form and it must be confronted with the same seriousness as any financial bribery,” said Oginde.
Despite this, he emphasized that corruption is fundamentally a human challenge, not limited to one gender.
“Corruption is a matter of the heart. Men and women alike must be transformed to think about the nation and the future generations,” he said.
The survey also highlights stark county-level disparities in corruption.
Kakamega County leads with an average bribe of Sh79,305, followed by West Pokot at Sh16,400, Isiolo at Sh13,912, Vihiga at Sh12,389, and Garissa at Sh12,297.
Conversely, counties like Nairobi at Sh4,223, Baringo at Sh1,314, Kilifi at Sh1,559, and Nyamira at Sh1,655 recorded much lower bribe levels.
The survey underscores that micro-corruption dominates public perception; small bribes of Sh500 to Sh1,000 are more visible to citizens than the billions involved in mega corruption.
However, Oginde stressed that the fight must address both ends of the spectrum whether small or big cases of corruption.
Public Service Principal Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the government is intensifying reforms to curb these rising cases of corruption.